Crate press



fait 2k3 1930- T. J.' BELL ET AL' CRATE PRESS Filed March 6, 1929 s sheets-sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.5 L 1S@ THOMAS J BEL JOHN W. BEL/ ATTORNEY.

JanQl 28, 1930. T. J. BELL ET AL 1,745,203

l CRATE PRESS Filed March 6, 1929V 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /7 THOMAS Z BELL# BY JOHN W BELL,

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Jan. 28, 1930. T. J. BELL. Er AL 1,745,203'A CRATE PRESS Filed March 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 NVENTORS 7/0/w/:s J BELL JOHN W BELL A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 28, 193@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS J". BELL AND JOHN W. BELL, OF LAKE MONROE, FLORIDA CRATE PRESS Application filed March 6,

Our invention relates to presses adapted for use in connection with crates or the like.

In accordance with our invention, we provide a press having pressure arm or arms, which are adapted to be brought into clamp ing engagement with the top of the crate, to

Jforce the same against the crate and to hold the top in position, during the nailing operation. The pressure arms are normally inclined and extend upwardly toward their forward or Jfree ends, whereby they are out of the way, and will permit of the convenient placing of the crate in the frame of the press. Upon the operation of the actuating means, the pressure arms are first shifted or swung to generally horizontal positions, without bew ing shifted downwardly to any considerable extent, and are held in this horizontal posi tion, and the continued operation of the actuating means bodily shifts the pressure arms downwardly while maintaining the same horizontal, until they are brought into clamping engagement with the top of the crate `or the like. When the actuating means is released, the pressure arms are automatically elevated and shift-ed to the inclined position.

In the drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a press embodying our invention,

Figure 2 is a frontelevation of the same,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure l is a plan view of the press,

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3, and,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the lock means for the actuating lever.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 10 designates a iframe, as a whole, embodying rear vertical beams or uprights 11 and forward beams or uprights 12, which may be in the form of angle irons. rIhe forward beams 12 are much shorter than the rear beams 1l, and are rigidly connected by horizontal rods 18 and 14, passing through sleeves or tubes 15.

1929. Serial N'o. 344,806.

The forward uprights 12 are connected with the rear uprights 11 by horizontal rods 16, passing through sleeves or tubes 17. The rear uprights 11 are rigidly connected by rods 17 passing through sleeves 18. Rigidly attached to the top of the forward uprights 12 and to the intermediate portions of the rear uprights 11 are guides 19, constituting the base or crate receiving portion of the frame.

The press embodies a vertically movable carriage, including slides 20, which are rigidly connected at their tops and bottoms by transverse horizontal rods 21 and 22. These slides reciprocate within the upper portions of the uprights 11, which upper portions are U-shaped in cross section.

Rigidly attached to the slides 20, is a frame work, including inclined bars 24, the upper ends of which are attached to the slides 20, by therod 21. Rigidly attached to the lower portions of the inclined bars 24, at 25, are horizontal bars 26 the inner ends of which are rigidly attached to the horizontal rod 22.

The numeral 27 designates apair of pressure arms, carried by blocks 28, which are rigidly secured thereto, and located slightly nearer the forward ends of the pressure arms, whereby the forward ends of the pressure arms will automatically swing to the raised position, when released. The blocks 28 are pivotally mounted upon a transverse rod 29, connecting the slides 20, and a spacing sleeve 30, is arranged between the blocks and is carried by the rod 29. The upward movement of the rear ends of the pressure arms 27 is limited by a horizontal transverse stop rod 31, which is rigidly attached to the bars 24;. The arms 27 are provided rearwardly of the uprights 11, with depending stops 32, rigidly secured thereto.

Attached to the upper ends of the slides 2O are flexible elements or cables 33, passed about grooved pulleys 34, which are rotatably mounted in the upper ends of the uprights 11. These cables are connected at their free ends with suitably stiff retractile coil springs 35, which are attached at their lower ends to the intermediate portion of the uprights 11. These springs and associated elements normally hold the slides 20 in the raised position.

The numeral 36 designates a pair of bell crank levers, which are connected by a transverse rod 37, in turn pivoted to the bars 26. Rigidly attached to the lower or horizontal arms of these bell crank levers, are extensions 38, having connection with retractile coil springs 39, which are attached to the lower ends of the bars 24. The bell crank levers 36 are connected near and spaced from their upper or free ends by a horizontal rod 40, adapted to engage beneath the lower edges of the pressure arms 27, and to also engage with the depending stops 32, the bell crank levers 36 extending upwardly beyond the rod 40 to slidably engage with the outer sides of the pressure arms 27.

The numeral 41 designates a cross head, the ends of which slidably receive the edges of the rear uprights 11. Connected with this cross head, near its ends, are flexible elements or cables 42, passed about grooved pulleys 43, which are rotatably mounted upon the transverse rod 22. The flexible elements or cables 42 are connected with the lower or horizontal arm of the bell crank levers 36, as shown at 44. The cross head 41 is shifted upwardly by a retractile coil spring 45, attached thereto, and to a rod 46, rigidly secured to the uprights 11.

The numeral 47 designates an actuating lever, provided at its forward end with a treadle 48. This actuating lever is pivotally connected between its ends, as shown at 49, with the cross head 41, and the rear end of this lever is pivotally connected, at 50, with a link 51. This link is pivotally connected at 52, with a V-shaped horizontal frame 53, which is rigidl 1 attached to the lower ends of the uprights 11. The forward end of the actuating lever 47 slides between a pair of vertical guides 54, which are carried by the rods 14, and held against dis lacement by sections of the sleeves 15.

he actuating lever 47 is provided near the treadle 48 with a dog or pawl 55, rigidly secured thereto, Figure 6, and arranged to engage with ratchet teeth 56, formed upon a bar 57, carried by a leaf-spring 58, the upper end of which is attached to one of the guides 54. Attached to the lower end of the leaf-spring 58 is a iexible element or cable 59, the opposite end of which is attached to one upright 12.

The operation of the press is as follows:

When the actuating lever 47 is in the raised position, Figure 1, the pressure arms 27 are inclined with their forward ends extending upwardly. This provides ample clearance so that the crate or box may be readily positioned upon the guides 19. The top being placed over the crate, which may be filled with fruit or the like, the operator then depresses the treadle 48, swinging the actuating lever 47 downwardly, upon its pivot 50. Springs are stronger than the springs 39, and hence upon the starting movement of the lever 47, the slides 20 do not move downwardly perceptibly. At this time, the shifting bell crank levers 36 are swung upon their pivots, until the rod engages the stops 32, at which time the rod 40 will have shifted the pressure arms 27 to a horizontal position. The pressure arms 27 are now located in a horizontal position and further downward movement of the lever 47 will cause the slides 20 to descend, bringing the pressure arms 27 in clamping engagement with the top of the crate, while they are maintained locked in the horizontal position. When the pawl or dog 55 engages the ratchet teeth 56, the lever 47 is locked in the lowered position. Hence the pressure arms will hold the cover in place upon the box and the operator will be free to nail or secure the cover to the box. After this operation, the flexible element 59 is depressed, by the operator, and spring 58 is shifted laterally, so that ratchet teeth 56 releases the dog 55. Springs 35 return the slides 2O to the raised position, springs 39 return the bell crank levers 36 to the forward position, pressure arms 27 gravitate to the inclined position, and spring returns the lever 47 to the raised position.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a press of the character described, a frame having a portion for supporting a box or the like, a cariiage mounted to reciprocate upon the frame, means to oppose the movement of the carriage in one direction, pressure arms pivoted upon the carriage, shifting levers pivoted upon the carriage and arranged to move the pressure levers upon their pivot, means to oppose the swinging movement of the shifting levers upon their pivots, and actuating means connected with the shifting levers and with the carriage to move both of them.

2, In a press of the character described, a frame having a portion for supporting a box 0r the like, a carriage mounted to reciprocate upon the frame, means to oppose the movement of the carriage in one direction, pressure arms pivoted upon the carriage, shifting levers pivoted upon the carriage and arranged to move the pressure levers upon their pivots, means to oppose the swinging movement of the shifting levers upon their pivots and adapted to offer a lesser resistance than llli the carriage movement opposing means, and actuating means connected with the shifting levers and with the carriage and adapted to irst shift the pressure arms upon their pivots and then move the carriage in one direction.

3. In a press oi the character described, a frame having a portion 'for supporting a bor; or the like, a carriage mounted to reciprocate upon the frame, means to oppose the movement of the carriage in one direction, a pressure device pivoted upon the carriage, stop means mounted upon the carriage and ar ranged in the path of travel of the pivoted device to limit the swinging movement of such device in one direction, a stop element carried by the pivoted device, a shitting lever pivoted upon the carriage and having a part to engage With the pivoted device and the stop element carried thereby, means to return the pivoted lever to the starting position, and actuating means connected with the pivoted lever and carriage.

4;. In a press of the character described, a frame having a portion 'for supportinga'box or the like, a carriage mounted to reciprocate upon the frame, means to oppose the movement of the carriage in one direction, a pressure device pivoted upon the carriage, a shifting lever pivoted upon the carriage and having a part to slidably engage with the pivoted device 'for shifting the same upon its pivot, means to return the lever to the starting position, and actuating means connected with the lever and the carriage.

5. In a press of the character described, a frame having a portion for supporting a box or the like, a carriage mounted to reciprocate upon the frame, a pressure device pivoted upon the carriage, a shifting lever pivoted upon the carriage and having a partto slidably engage With the pivoted device for shifting the same upon its pivot, and actuating means connected with the lever and carriage to move the same.

(i. In a press of the character described, a support for holding a boil or the like, an u`pstanding guide arranged near the support, a vertically movable carriage engaging the guide, yielding means for normally holding the carriage elevated, a pressure device pivoted upon the carriage and adapted to normally assume an inclined position, a pivoted shifting device mounted upon the carriage and having a part to slidably engage the pressure device, a vertically movable actuating element, a pulley mounted upon the carriage, and a flexible element connected with the actuating element and engaging` the pulley and connected with the shifting device.

7. In a press ot the character described, a support for holding a box or the like, an upstanding guide arranged near the support, a vertically movable carriage engaging the guide, yielding means for normally holding the carriage elevated, a pressure device pivoted upon the carriage and adapted to normally assume an inclined position, a pivoted shitting device mounted upon the carriage and having a part to slidably engage the pressure device, a vertically movable actuating element, a pulley mounted upon the carriage, a flexible element connected with the actuating element and engaging the pulley and connected with the shifting device, and means to lock the vertically movable actuating element in the depressed position.

8. In a press of the character described, as a sub-combination, a carriage, a normally inclined pivoted pressure device mounted upon the carriage, a stop element arranged above the pressure device and connected With the carriage, a shifting lever mounted upon the carriage and having a part engaging beneath the pressure device, said part and stop ele ment being adapted to lock the pressure device in a substantially horizontal position, and means to move the lever.

9. In a press of the character described, a support for holding a box or the like, an upstanding guide arranged near the support and projecting above the same, a reciprocatory carriage mounted upon the guide and arranged above the support, yielding means to normally hold the carriage elevated, a pressure device pivoted upon the carriage and adapted to normally assume an inclined condition, a pivoted shifting device mounted upon the carriage and having a part to slidably engage the pivoted pressure device to shift it upon its pivot, a movable actuating element, and means connecting the actuating element with the shifting device.

In testimony whereof We aix our signatures.

THOMAS J. BELL. JOHN W. BELL. 

